As-of-right development on private property, and the traffic it brings, is difficult to scale back

In response to the letter by Linda Urbanski in the June 18 Advance, "How is a new chain store allowed at a choked intersection?":

The answer is by right.

As a civic leader, I have learned there is little we can do to impede the rights of individuals to do as they wish on their own property, provided it is lawful.

As the writer correctly states, initially, there was insufficient parking. With the help of Councilman James Oddo, the Grasmere Civic Association met with the contractor, who agreed to reduce the size of the building by 30 percent and increase parking spots to be more in line with the law.

We see these concessions as a huge win when considering other overdevelopment horror stories on Staten Island.

Despite this success, the Grasmere community remains highly concerned about traffic flow, pedestrian traffic and the potential opening of residential side streets to commercial vehicles, threatening the safety of our young and elderly.

As the project nears completion in the coming months, we hope to continue to work with all parties to ensure the safety of our residents and pedestrians.
[The writer is the president of the Grasmere Civic Association.]